Is it Different for Women? Gender Differences in Romantic Relationship Functioning for Young Adults with ADHD.

Date

2023-03-16

Authors

Mallinson, Rachel

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Abstract

While research has begun to acknowledge the role of ADHD in social dysfunction, gender differences do not tend to receive sufficient attention. Women often present with altered symptoms, increased mental health concerns, and report greater impairment in many domains, including their romantic relationships. It has been suggested that ADHD symptoms are uniquely problematic for women due to their in-congruency with expectations for female behaviour. In turn, the focus of the present study is three-fold: (1) to investigate whether how gender differences in ADHD symptoms impact relationship functioning; (2) analyze the roles of stress and anxiety in this association; and (3) test whether conflict with gender expectations contributes to interpersonal difficulties for young women with ADHD. Our sample was 171 undergraduate students (36 males and 135 females), aged 18-25 years. Participants completed an online self-report survey assessing ADHD symptoms, anxiety, stress, gendered attributes, and relationship distress (i.e., insecure attachment style, intimate partner violence). Analyses were conducted in IBM SPSS (Version 29) with 95% confidence intervals. ADHD symptoms were positively correlated with stress and anxiety overall, as well as relationship efficacy in both males and females. In women only, ADHD symptoms were linked with attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, as well as intimate partner violence (perpetration and victimization). Implications for young adults' relationship functioning, clinical practice, and future research will be discussed.

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Keywords

mental health, attachment style, partner violence, gender differences, relationships, ADHD

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